Following their 2013 release of J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio,
BWV 248 (review)
the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks under artistic director Peter Dijkstra
have joined forces with Regensburger Domspatzen and Concerto Köln
for this live recording of the St. Matthew Passion. For this
performance, recorded in concert in February 2013 Dijkstra employs elements
of historically informed performance practice but uses a reasonably large
choir. I have seen a TV broadcast of one of these Herkulessaal concerts
and sharing the same stage the two choirs can be seen to include twenty
boy singers. The period instrument Concerto Köln divide down the
centre into two orchestras with around twenty players in each segment.

The St. Matthew Passion was given its first performance on Good
Friday 1721 at the St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. Bach employs texts by Picander
that are taken from the St. Matthew Gospel. It was the twenty year old
Felix Mendelssohn who conducted a performance in 1829 at the Berlin Singakademie
finally revealing this as a masterwork that had lain hidden for around
a century. Mendelssohn used a heavily cut and edited version and employed
a 150-strong choir.

On this recording the authoritative voice of Julian Prégardien
as the Evangelist is in condition with bright and vividly clear diction.
As Jesus, Karl-Magnus Fredriksson’s firm, dark-tinged baritone is
suitably serious. I especially enjoyed the alto arias Buß und
Reu with the benefit of a lovely flute accompaniment and Erbarme
dich, mein Gott with an exquisite violin obbligato. Both arias are
movingly sung by mezzo-soprano Gerhild Romberger who demonstrates her
splendid dark timbre and clear diction. Karina Gauvin sings the hauntingly
moving arias Blute nur, du liebes Herz! and Aus Liebe will
mein Heiland sterben with disarming sensitivity - brightly expressive
yet vulnerable. I found especially moving the duet So ist mein Jesus
nun gefangen for the soprano and alto with choir all combining to
moving effect. Impressive in the bass aria arias notably Gerne will
ich mich bequemen and Am Abend, da es kuhle war is baritone
Michael Nagy. He sings with presence and deep reverential expression.
Tenor Maximilian Schmitt is bright and clear conveying a profound respect
for the text. He is particularly engaging in his aria Ich will bei
meinem Jesu wachen. The well rehearsed Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
and Regensburger Domspatzen deliver fresh and expressive choral singing
throughout – they are wonderfully in unison. The Concerto Köln
is thoroughly at one with the music, playing with engaging freshness.
Director Peter Dijkstra pulls everything together although I must say
that the chosen speeds felt a touch measured at times.

For recordings of the St. Matthew Passion I generally favour
the sparer forces found on versions that use authentic instruments and
employ aspects of period informed performance practice. My first choice
is still the stunning and highly engaging Paul McCreesh directing just
eight singers Deborah York, Julia Gooding, Magdalena Kozena, Susan Bickley,
Mark Padmore, James Gilchrist, Peter Harvey and Stephan Loges with the
Gabrieli Players. McCreesh was recorded at Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark
2002 on Archiv Produktion.
For those wanting a recording on modern instruments with generously sized
choral forces my unequivocal first choice is Karl Richer and soloists:
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Irmgard Seefried, Antonia Fahberg, Kieth Engen,
Hertha Töpper, Ernst Haefliger and Max Proebstl, the Munich Chorknaben,
Munich Bach Choir and Orchestra on ‘The Originals’ Archiv
Produktion. Recorded in 1967 at the Herkulessaal, Munich in the traditional
Bach performance style of the day Richter demonstrates that he is a master
Bach conductor. He provides an invigorating musical and often spiritual
experience.
This version of the Passion is beautifully performed and aptly captures
the sacred drama of the score. Without a weak link Dijkstra has put together
an excellent group of soloists, choral and period instrument forces. The
accompanying booklet contains full texts in German but is curiously without
English translations although there is an essay in English. The engineers
have excelled with the choral and orchestral forces being excellently
balanced. This is an extremely desirable recording that I will play often.Michael Cookson